PARIS — A travel writer published guidance in a recent column on family vacations with teenagers, emphasizing the need for more collaboration and flexibility than required when traveling with younger children. The author, who has three children ages 15, 17, and 18, outlined strategies learned from recent family trips including a visit to Paris.

The writer recommends asking teenage children for input on activities to secure their participation and build anticipation for trips. Flexible travel itineraries allow for last-minute changes and enable starting days slowly to provide necessary downtime for teens.

On a trip to Paris a few years ago, the author and her children decided not to visit the Louvre and instead went thrift shopping and visited a wax museum. This experience taught the author to focus on connection rather than following a strict itinerary.

The writer suggests that one-on-one trips help tailor experiences to each teen's interests and reduce sibling conflict. She incorporates her middle child's interest in fishing into travel planning, looking for trips that include fishing activities on the itinerary.

During one trip, the author and her middle child spent several hours at a fish hatchery learning about salmon spawning. The middle child still discusses this fish hatchery visit many years later, demonstrating the lasting impact of personalized travel experiences.

The author notes that knowing about later activities like zip-lining or snorkeling helps teenagers accept early morning wake-ups. When staying at all-inclusive properties, some family members participate in activities while others opt out, giving the group time to reset.

Occasionally, the author's oldest child chooses to sleep in and skip breakfast while on vacation. The writer contrasts this with her children's elementary school years, when she often surprised them with last-minute trips and they responded with delight to these experiences.

The author concludes that families do not need to spend every minute together to have a successful vacation, emphasizing that allowing individual preferences can still result in enjoyable family travel experiences.